Top 20 Celeb Cameos On Rick And Morty
#20: Stephen Colbert as Zeep Xanflorp “The Ricks Must Be Crazy”
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If anyone could prove to be Rick’s celebrity equal, Stephen Colbert would be a top candidate. Appearing in the episode, “The Ricks Must Be Crazy,” Colbert plays Rick’s microverse alter ego Zeep Xanflorp, whose callous nature and pomposity give Rick a run for his money. Colbert successfully mirrors creator Justin Roiland’s vocal approach to Rick, only upping the sarcasm and eliminating the burp-inflected dialogue while replicating famous lines said by Rick in earlier episodes. Regardless, the excellent use of the intellectual current host of “The Late Show” is a welcomed addition to “Rick and Morty”’s ever-growing cast of reputable and memorable guest stars.
#19: Peter Serafinowicz as Agency Director “Pickle Rick”
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Possibly the most beloved and certainly the most memed episode of season three sees Rick turning himself into to a pickle. After getting washed down a storm drain, Rick ends up in a shadowy agency. The Agency Director tries several times have pickle Rick dispatched, only to meet his fate in a fiery blast. The ice-cold and menacing tones of the director might have been familiar to some as English actor Peter Serafinowicz, best known for his roles of Garthan Saal in “Guardians of the Galaxy” and his multiple voice acting roles on shows like “Gravity Falls,” “Archer”, as well as giving voice to Darth Maul in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.”
#18: Christina Hendricks as Unity “Auto Erotic Assimilation”
On a more serious note, Christina Hendricks’s guest spot on “Rick and Morty” was a deviation from the bevy of comedic actors to have appeared on the show. She plays Unity, an alien entity capable of assimilating entire populations, who was also Rick’s one-time girlfriend. Hendricks expertly voices a character that is both emotionally complex and able to explore the more psychological angles employed by “Rick and Morty” as a work of genuine science fiction. Although short on the funny side, this “Mad Men” star’s sweet and charming approach to such a layered character is a great example of proving that this show is not just toilet humor. Things don’t work out between Unity and Rick, which is great news for Beta-Seven, voiced by Patton Oswalt.
#17: Christian Slater as Vance Maximus “Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender”
The down-to-earth and likeable voice of Christian Slater hit it big time as one of the mythical Vindicators in “Rick and Morty”’s third season parody of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. Cast as a Peter Quill inspired Vance Maximus, the easily triggered and fair-weather space hero contains some dynamic voice work from the veteran teen star-turned Hollywood and television icon. Although Slater’s stint as Maximus was short-lived, as the character is hilariously killed off fairly quickly in the episode, the actor’s perfect mix of cocky attitude and outright panic make Vance Maximus a hilarious example of “Rick and Morty”’s disdain for mainstream heroes.
#16: Elon Musk as Elon Tusk “One Crew Over the Crewcoo's Morty”
Having made numerous other TV cameos, it was only a matter of time until Elon Musk appeared on “Rick and Morty.” So, how does the show utilize one of this generation’s most innovative minds? They have him voice another version of himself… with tusks! Get it, Musk, Tusk. And naturally, Tesla is Tuskla in this dimension. Longer teeth aside, Tusk might be a little less controlling than Musk, although the differences end there. Musk is a good sport throughout the episode, poking fun at his eccentric quirks. The SpaceX founder’s presence is only made funnier by the fact that he doesn’t contribute that much to the fight against Heist-o-Tron. We love that Musk took time out of his busy schedule for such a random cameo.
#15: Matthew Broderick as Talking Cat “Claw and Hoarder: Special Ricktim’s Morty”
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Speaking of random cameos, this episode sees Matthew Broderick go from voicing the Lion King to a talking cat who may or may not be from outer space. Why? No reason. It’s “an attempt to just have fun,” as Dan Harmon explained. With exception to the whole talking thing, the cat seems fairly normal. Broderick even captures the laidback nature of a common housecat. The feline harbors a ghastly past, however, which Rick and Jerry get a traumatizing glimpse of. Whatever they saw, we can’t imagine Broderick or any cat doing something so horrific. This twist wouldn’t have been as funny with a more over-the-top or intimidating actor in the role. Broderick’s mild-mannered delivery perfectly contrasts the atrocities that the cat is apparently capable of.
#14: Clancy Brown as Risotto Groupon “The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy”
Clancy Brown has voiced a crab who runs a restaurant, a demon detective, and a mad scientist who keeps losing to an Australian marsupial. Does his filmography get any weirder than that? Well, in this episode, he voices an alien who looks like a cross between a blue poodle and a gorilla. As ridiculous as that sounds, Brown approaches the role with his signature booming voice and intense delivery, which only adds to the absurdity. He even makes the words, “Whirly Dirly,” sound dire. Risotto Groupon is one of the many individuals who wants Rick dead, trying to enlist Jerry’s help. His blood-hungry dialogue matches Brown’s commanding performance, although Risotto’s revenge mission ultimately results in his undoing. He should’ve stuck to doing children’s birthday parties.
#13: Alfred Molina as Lucius Needful “Something Ricked This Way Comes”
If we ever get another adaptation of “Something Wicked This Way Comes,” Alfred Molina would be an inspired choice to play Mr. Dark. For now, Molina’s performance as Lucius Needful will do just fine. Lucius goes by another name that you’re probably more familiar with, the Devil! Even the Devil and his cursed objects are no match for Rick’s inventions. When science doesn’t put the Devil in his place, brute force and steroids will. While we’ve seen Molina play villains before, he’s at his most deliciously evil here. As dastardly as the Devil is, he can also be wormy and kind of pathetic. Molina seamlessly transitions between the two, making us fear the Devil one second and laugh at his misfortune the next.
#12: Joel McHale as Hemorrhage “Rickmancing the Stone”
After Beth and Jerry get a divorce, the kids, especially Summer, want to get as far from their broken home life as possible. In a rebellious turn, Summer would rather hang out in a Mad Max-esque post-apocalyptic, diesel-punk world, and after killing off the leader of the Death Stalkers she is welcomed into the group. A romance begins between her and the new leader, Hemorrhage. While it’s hard to hear at first with the bucket on his head, this is Joel McHale, who worked with Dan Harmon previously on “Community.” Without the bucket, it turns out he’s not a scarred mutant but a well-groomed hyper-fashion-conscious dude, sort of like McHale’s “Community” character Jeff Winger.
#11: Gillian Jacobs as Supernova “Vindicators 3: The Return of Worldender”
Poor Morty- like any kid he just wanted to hang out with some superheroes and save the world – he even cashed in his punch-card for choosing an adventure! But Rick, with his god-complex, doesn’t like that Morty could look up to anyone but him, and so he systematically kills off the superhero team while destroying their morale and goodwill in a series of “Saw”-like challenges. At the end, only Supernova is left, and she is pissed. She misses her chance to kill Rick off, but there’s a chance she’ll be back, as she was voiced by another “Community” alum: Gillian Jacobs.
#10: Keegan Michael-Key & Jordan Peele as Testicle Monsters #1 & #2 “A Rickle in Time”
“Rick and Morty” fans were treated to not just one, but both the vocal talents of the legendary comedic duo Key & Peele in the Season 2 premiere. Appearing more than halfway into the episode, Keegan-Michael Key brings the hilarity immediately with a loudmouthed and confrontational tone, much like his many aggressive characters from “MADtv” and “Key & Peele.” And although Jordan Peele only shows up in the episode’s post-credit sequence, the pair play off each other with their trademark banter, fitting right into their assigned roles as time-jumping testicle monsters with severe patience issues.
#9: Andy Daly as Krombopulos Michael Various
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Who would have thought that an assassin could be so lovable? Guess people are just happy to see others happy in their work, right? Possibly the only Gromflomite that Rick is willing to do business with, Krombopulos Michael just loves killing stuff and for this assignment he needs an anti-matter gun, which he purchases from Rick. Morty takes exception, and later accidentally kills this short-lived fan-favorite character. The enthusiastic hired gun was voiced by comedian Andy Daly, best known for his work on “Eastbound & Down,” “Adventure Time,” and “Comedy Bang! Bang!”
#8: Susan Sarandon as Dr. Wong Various
Being an Oscar-winning guest, the series creators brought out the big guns in providing Susan Sarandon with a dynamite script and a quirky character that is both endearing and hilariously out of place when dealing with the anomalous Smith family. In the popular “Pickle Rick” episode, Sarandon, voicing Dr. Wong - racist name, by the way–has the misfortune of seeing the dysfunctional Smiths through family therapy. While conversing with Rick, who happens to be in pickle form for the entire episode, Sarandon’s deadpan and serious flow in such a ridiculous situation make the inclusion of the A-list actress all the more hilarious.
#7: Nathan Fillion as Cornvelious Daniel “The Rickshank Rickdemption”
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One of the leaders in cult television acting, Nathan Fillion is no stranger to goofy characters and voice acting. His easily recognizable voice was the perfect surprise for fans when he appeared in the series’ surprise season three premiere on April Fool’s Day, 2017. Starring as Cornvelious Daniel, a Galactic Federation agent sent into Rick’s mind to obtain the mad scientist’s portal gun formula, Fillion does an excellent job at going from cocky to panicked in the blink of an eye once the tables have turned on him. The beloved actor gains extra points for doing a spot-on impersonation of Rick, burps and all, once his brain has been taken over by his conniving rival.
#6: Alison Brie as Planetina “A Rickconvenient Mort”
While the voice actors behind “Rick and Morty” always have great comedic timing, their dramatic range sometimes catches us off guard. It should come as no surprise that Alison Brie is well-suited to voice the adorable, plucky, and wide-eyed Planetina. The character takes a dark turn, however, leading to her devastating breakup with Morty. You may think we’re exaggerating when we say, “devastating.” Listening to Brie’s emotional line readings, though, our hearts can’t help but sink. You’d expect this kind of acting in a tragic romance movie. The notion that it’s in a Captain Planet parody is funny, yet still brings us to tears. Planetina’s parting words to Morty still sting, which is a testament to the strength of the writing and especially the actress.
#5: John Oliver as Dr. Xenon Bloom “Anatomy Park”
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One of the series’ first guest stars, John Oliver brought his sly wittiness in his appearance as Dr. Xenon Bloom, the bacterial chief engineer of Anatomy Park. Acting in a John Hammond/Walt Disney-type capacity, Oliver brings forth many typical megalomaniacal traits such as over-explaining the various goings-on, as well as stating the obvious at almost every perilous turn. With an excellent sense of comedic timing, the former “Daily Show” writer and current “Last Week Tonight” host proved to be a heavy hitter early in “Rick and Morty”’s guest roster. It’s only a shame Dr. Bloom had to “willingly sacrifice” himself, barring any further appearances from the wacky mogul.
#4: Jemaine Clement as Fart “Mortynight Run”
The musical humor of Flight of the Conchords and “Ricky and Morty” is a match that is almost too good to be true, and viewers were treated to one-half of the musical duo with Jemaine Clement’s turn as the unfortunately named “Fart” in the season two episode, “Mortynight Run.” Evoking the silliness of his Conchords character, including deadpan humor bordering on the ignorant, “Fart’s” inadvertently evil character is brought to hilarious life via Clement’s fantastic monotonous voice. Topping it all off, “Fart”’s top-notch song “Goodbye Moonmen,” a ridiculous Bowie-esque psychedelic masterpiece, has made him one of the most iconic characters in the series.
#3: David Cross as Prince Nebulon “M. Night Shaym-Aliens!”
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It takes a special sort of someone to try to pull a fast one on Rick Sanchez. In their bid to get the recipe for concentrated dark matter, a group of Zigerions abduct Rick, Jerry, and Morty – or do they? The convoluted scheme involving a simulation inside more simulations is led by Prince Nebulon, the leader of the Zigerions. Bringing the hapless scammer to life is David Cross, perhaps best known for his turn as Dr. Tobias Fünke on “Arrested Development.” The hilarious actor and comedian also played the lead in “The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret,” slave-pirate Noah on “Archer,” and Dwight in “Scary Movie 2” amongst many other roles.
#2: Danny Trejo as Jaguar “Pickle Rick”
In one of the most iconic episodes from the third season of “Rick and Morty,” the “Pickle Rick” episode yielded one of the series’ most badass and memorable guest characters in Jaguar, the incarcerated criminal who only wants his daughter back. Voiced by legendary action movie star Danny Trejo, mostly in grunts and growled kitschy action movie catchphrases, Jaguar maintains an air of ridiculous, over-the-top traits akin to almost every gung-ho action vehicle from the 1980s and onward. The only thing we hope for in the coming “Rick and Morty” seasons is more random appearances from this incredible assassin.
#1: Werner Herzog as Old Reptile “Interdimensional Cable 2: Tempting Fate”
Jerry is rushed into a space hospital after coming into contact with some bacteria Rick was storing, and so begins the B-story of “Interdimensional Cable 2”. Throughout, Jerry is urged to donate his penis to save the life of Shrimply Pibbles, a civil rights leader beloved across galaxies. Unsure of why Jerry is hesitant, an Old Reptile explains man’s love of his penis. This reptile is voiced by highly influential and respected German director, screenwriter and actor Werner Herzog. His films are known for their precision, and his narration often adds a dark, somber tone. Despite his intimidating status, he has lent his acting skills to several comedies, including “Parks and Recreation,” “The Simpsons,” and “The Boondocks.”
